Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Matchlock · 30th June 2009, 01:40 PM

Hi Jim,

By experience, and gainst the background of Christianity, I should say that the cross symbol has been quite common to a lot of European (including Portuguese and Spanish) ironwork and also to blades. One main reason may have been that the bearer was hoping to be protected from evil - either the gun exploding or an attacking enemy. In the South German and alpine regions it is often found as part of an orb and cross, as you will remember well from many blade marks. I have come to interpret this combination as a symbol of the Holy Roman Empire, both religious and political.

I include images of two heavy Late Gothic wrought iron barrels in my collection, each ca. 35 cm long; one of them is struck with a group of three circles and illegible stylized letters (date?!) surmounted by a cross.

The other shows a cudely incised cross symbol right before the raised brim of the touch hole moulding.

Best,
Michael

30th June 2009, 01:40 PM	#8
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Hi Jim, By experience, and gainst the background of Christianity, I should say that the cross symbol has been quite common to a lot of European (including Portuguese and Spanish) ironwork and also to blades. One main reason may have been that the bearer was hoping to be protected from evil - either the gun exploding or an attacking enemy. In the South German and alpine regions it is often found as part of an orb and cross, as you will remember well from many blade marks. I have come to interpret this combination as a symbol of the Holy Roman Empire, both religious and political. I include images of two heavy Late Gothic wrought iron barrels in my collection, each ca. 35 cm long; one of them is struck with a group of three circles and illegible stylized letters (date?!) surmounted by a cross. The other shows a cudely incised cross symbol right before the raised brim of the touch hole moulding. Best, Michael Attached Images Last edited by Matchlock; 30th June 2009 at 08:07 PM.